Posts Tagged ‘hamr’
One Aspect of Amateur Radio: Good Will Ambassadors to the World
May 31st, 2020 | 
Author: This article is part two of the series taking a look at band plans and gentlemen agreements.
See part one, here: Land (er, FREQUENCY) Grab. See part three, here: In Response — Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Displaced and Marginalized
There are some unhappy amateur radio operators in the world of shortwave operations. Users of Morse code, and digital modes other than the highly-popular modes engineered by Joe Taylor, K1JT, feel displaced on the many amateur radio bands where Joe’s wildly-popular mode FT8 has erupted.
Joe (born March 29, 1941), is a friend of hams everywhere, and is an American astrophysicist and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate (https://g.nw7us.us/2Ptquv1) for his discovery with Russell Alan Hulse of a “new type of pulsar, a discovery that has opened up new possibilities for the study of gravitation.”
Many have asked questions like, “Did Joe Taylor K1JT Destroy Amateur Radio? Did Joe Taylor K1JT, Nobel Laureate and noted friend of hams everywhere, accidentally destroy amateur radio?” This question remains relevant, even as more and more FT8 operators take to the HF bands to chase wallpaper and awards.
FT8 Has Validity and Usefulness
Full disclosure: I administer a Facebook group for FT8 and FT8-related modes, because I believe that the mode has a valid place in our amateur radio technology portfolio. Here is the Facebook group URL, if you would like to join the fun: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FT8.FT4.HF.6m/. Understand, I have used and will continue to use FT8.
Because it has a place, it stands to reason that everyone should become more aware of the impact of using FT8 on the bands. It also stands to reason that it should be used ethically, and in the best spirit of amateur radio.
Many amateur operators use the FT8 digital mode as a novelty when there isn’t much else happening on amateur radio shortwave bands. One of the great things about it is that you can tell when a band is open–even though you don’t hear any other signals of other modes on the band in question, you very well may hear the roar of FT8 on the band where propagation actually exists to somewhere else than your QTH.
Others use it to finally get their DXCC, or WAS, or other award and wallpaper. This is especially popular during this season of the sunspot cycle where there are no sunspots–propagation is limited to lower-HF amateur bands because there’s just not enough solar activity to energize the ionosphere enough to open up the higher segment of shortwave.
FT8 Has Limitations
Can FT8 be used for two-way conversations? No. However, the JS8CALL digital mode is designed from the FT8 mode, by changing the protocol in a way that allows free text. It is designed for ragchewing and the new version 2.0 offers three modes of chat with 50 Hz and 16 wpm, 80 Hz and 24 wpm, and the turbo mode at 160hz and 40wpm with turbo only having a 6-second turn around time. The designated frequency is 7.078, which many find much nicer to use.
However, many find JS8CALL combersome, and non-intuitive. How fast and how reliably can it handle critical messages, say, during an emergency? I’m sure the software will improve, but how good is the protocol?
A mode such as Olivia has been field proven, and time tested. It can reliably handle traffic.
The Rant
During the early days of widespread FT8 operation that came with the first public non-Beta release of FT8-equipped WSJT-X software, I tried to reason with the FT8 development leadership team. I made a polite attempt at explaining how incredibly rude they were in purposefully programming into the software the default operating frequencies such as 7.075, 14.075, and so on.
One of the main leaders of that team slammed me and stated that “we only suggested those frequencies; the operator is free to change them.” Additionally, he stated that the team used a common QSO/Mode spotting website to see what digital modes or other operations (like CW) were sparser. They perceived that the frequencies they proposed where no longer active because they saw few if any spots. They thought that no one would care.
I explained that a single website-spotting strategy was illogical and very lazy. This is true for several reasons, at least.
I guess you have to have a Ph.D. to know better than any average ham who went by gentleman’s agreements. I have an extremely dim view of JT and his disciples. CW is not the only operating group he’s engineered out of traditional slices of spectrum. Olivia, and other modes, now have been pushed down into PSK subbands, and everyone is feeling the crowding. As far as my thinking of FT8, well, it is radio, but it doesn’t foster goodwill and building serious communications skill. IMHO.
Play Nice, Be Positive and Polite. Smile.
I’ve received wise counsel from a number of fellow amateur radio operators. They implore us to not promote hostility between “us and them.” That even though the WSJT team is playing the playground bully, we should not be vengeful, but polite and willing to negotiate in good faith.
If we don’t play nice with the bully then the bully won’t play with us. And, the general public will side with the bully because the bully has the nice toys…
Good negotiations, though, take a willingness by both sides, so that conversation evolves, resulting in positive, cooperative actions embraced by both parties. There are other amateur radio operators who have made attempts to open up talks with Joe and crew. What are the results, so far?
We can hope that Joe Taylor and his group of developers and leadership take a proactive role and join a conversation that is with a wider group of amateurs than just the WSJT enthusiasts. We hope that they will play fairly, and cooperatively, with the rest of the amateur radio community.
Tomas Hood, NW7US, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Nebraska, USA. Tomas is the Space Weather and Radio Propagation Contributing Editor to ‘CQ Amateur Radio Magazine’, and ‘The Spectrum Monitor’ magazine.
Contest Morse Code, Computers, and an Icom Rig
This past weekend (third full weekend in February, February 15-16, 2020) is the ARRL International CW Contest (ARRL DX CW link: http://www.arrl.org/arrl-dx ). This is interesting to my study of radio signal propagation as a columnist and as an amateur radio operator because of the contest objective: “To encourage W/VE stations to expand knowledge of DX propagation on the HF and MF bands…” This contest is a good way to get a feel for current propagation–though there are caveats.
Speaking of Morse code and the CW mode on our amateur bands: those of you using CW during contests, do you send by hand or by computer? Do you copy the code by head, or do you use a computer for decoding?
Just curious about those of you who use CW. Do you send by hand or computer? Receive by head or computer?
In most contests like the ARRL DX CW contest, I copy by ear, and send mostly by rig keyer. If needed, I use a single paddle key with the Icom rig’s internal keyer to answer unique questions and so on.
Below is a quick demo of using the internal Morse code keyer in my Icom IC-7610 transceiver.
V47T, in the Saint Kitts and Nevis Island in the Caribbean, is calling CQ TEST in the ARRL DX CW contest.
Using the programmable virtual buttons, in which I programmed my callsign, NW7US, and other info, I answer and make a complete contest QSO.
In activity like the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC – https://SKCCGroup.com) K3Y special event, it is all manual. I send my Morse code using a WWII Navy Flameproof Signal Key, and decode with my ears. It is contextual for me.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm8UJst6umA[/embedyt]
How do you do contesting Morse code? Bonus question: How do you do logging while doing contest operation?
73 es best dx = de NW7US dit dit
How Did You Fare in CQ WW CW Contest Weekend?
Man, lots and lots of Morse code on the ham bands, this weekend. The CQ Worldwide CW Contest weekend was hopping with signals!
How did you do this weekend? How were conditions on the various contest bands?
Comment here and your report may make it into the propagation column in an upcoming edition of the Radio Propagation column in CQ Amateur Radio Magazine.
Here are a few moments as heard at the station of the CQ Amateur Radio Magazine propagation columnist, in Lincoln, Nebraska (yeah, that’s me, NW7US).
[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWCbtIOJmLI[/embedyt]
Here are the results of my dabbling with the Icom rig and this contest:
NW7US's Contest Summary Report for CQ-WW
Created by N3FJP's CQ WW DX Contest Log
Version 5.7 www.n3fjp.com
Total Contacts = 55
Total Points = 8,979
Operating Period: 2019/11/24 10:23 - 2019/11/24 22:51
Total op time (breaks > 30 min deducted): 3:58:46
Total op time (breaks > 60 min deducted): 4:45:17
Avg Qs/Hr (breaks > 30 min deducted): 13.8
Total Contacts by Band and Mode:
Band CW Phone Dig Total %
---- -- ----- --- ----- ---
80 8 0 0 8 15
40 7 0 0 7 13
20 25 0 0 25 45
15 15 0 0 15 27
-- ----- --- ----- ---
Total 55 0 0 55 100
Total Contacts by State \ Prov:
State Total %
----- ----- ---
52 95
HI 3 5
Total = 1
Total Contacts by Country:
Country Total %
------- ----- ---
Canada 6 11
Brazil 5 9
USA 5 9
Argentina 3 5
Costa Rica 3 5
Hawaii 3 5
Bonaire 2 4
Cayman Is. 2 4
Chile 2 4
Cuba 2 4
Japan 2 4
Mexico 2 4
Aruba 1 2
Bahamas 1 2
Barbados 1 2
Belize 1 2
Curacao 1 2
Dominican Republic 1 2
French Guiana 1 2
Haiti 1 2
Honduras 1 2
Martinique 1 2
Montserrat 1 2
Nicaragua 1 2
Senegal 1 2
St. Kitts & Nevis 1 2
St. Lucia 1 2
Suriname 1 2
US Virgin Is. 1 2
Venezuela 1 2
Total = 30
Total DX Miles (QSOs in USA not counted) = 151,407
Average miles per DX QSO = 3,028
Average bearing to the entities worked in each continent.
QSOs in USA not counted.
AF = 83
AS = 318
NA = 124
OC = 268
SA = 137
Total Contacts by Continent:
Continent Total %
--------- ----- ---
NA 32 58
SA 17 31
OC 3 5
AS 2 4
AF 1 2
Total = 5
Total Contacts by CQ Zone:
CQ Zone Total %
------- ----- ---
08 13 24
03 7 13
09 7 13
07 6 11
11 5 9
13 3 5
31 3 5
04 2 4
05 2 4
06 2 4
12 2 4
25 2 4
35 1 2
Total = 13
What? ARRL Petitions FCC to Expand Privileges of Technician-Class Amateur Radio Operators
I have my opinion on ARRL asking FCC to grant more HF privileges to Technician-class licensees.
I verbalize them in this video:
[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWSAvDWE3Js[/embedyt]
After you hear my comments, please leave your comments.
Thanks, 73 de NW7US dit dit
Let’s Call CQ – QSO Today Episode 184 with NW7US
I got a Skype call a few weeks ago from Eric, 4Z1UG–the creator and host of the QSO Today Podcast–during which he asked me about how and why I got into amateur radio. Here’s the result.
Eric writes,
We talk a lot about the band conditions due to the Sunspot cycle. Most of it on Facebook and other places is about how “dead” the bands are at this point. We all can’t wait until the cycle starts to rise and we will be making contacts with little effort. I remember in my conversation with Chuck Adams, K7QO in Episode 58, that he really enjoys operating is “Pigrig”, one watt, CW transceiver on 20 meters. When I asked him, (I liberally paraphrase) “but Chuck, the bands are dead. How does that work for you?”. His reply was that while most hams are listening to the bands, he calls CQ until he gets a reply. Works every time.
My QSO this week is with Tomas Hood, NW7US, who has years of expertise in propagation and Solar activity. He is the propagation editor of more than a few radio magazines and websites. In our post-recording conversation we discussed this phenomenon of listening and not calling CQ. I even had this idea that maybe one of the reasons that the digital modes are so successful is because they “beacon”, as part of the whole digital experience, the same as calling CQ. This is why they make contacts. From what I see, looking at PSK Reporter, hams are making lots of contacts worldwide using the digital modes. While SSB may not be working so well, CW and the digital modes seem to work fine.
I like to work on my bench or make the podcast while listening to the bands. Jeff Damm, WA7MLH, in Episode 177, says that he will put his keyer in CQ mode while he is working on a new radio. Invariably, sometimes after many minutes, he gets a reply. Great idea Jeff!
73,
Eric, 4Z1UG
Episode 184 can be found here: https://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/nw7us
Highlights of Episode 184:
Tomas Hood, NW7US is the propagation editor of a number of shortwave and amateur radio magazines, and has a wide variety of websites, that grew out of his love for all things radio, and for listening on the bands to far off DX and commercial broadcast stations. Tomas shares his understanding of propagation and the lessons we can learn from listening, really listening to the QSOs and exchanges during contest operation.
All of the QSO Today episodes are great. I enjoy hearing about many different hams. Do check out all of the episodes that Eric has published.
73 de NW7US dit dit
What Got You Interested in Radio? What Hooked You? (Story Time, with Video)
What got you interested in radio? What hooked you?
I’ve been asked, “What got you interested in radio, space weather, and the science of radio-wave propagation?”
Here’s a short answer as to why (and when) I became a radio enthusiast. It all started…
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XBth62JgwA[/embedyt]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XBth62JgwA
The following picture is of my first shortwave radio, discovered in my home sometime between 1971 and 1973: a Sony portable transistorized four-band radio receiver. This was my very first shortwave radio (well, truthfully, it was my dad’s). This radio is responsible for my love of radio, electronics, and communications.
Sony Portable 4-Band Radio – the model 7F-74DL (my First Radio)
I still use this, sometimes, when listening to late-night AM-broadcast-band-radio DX. It is horrible for shortwave radio listening, as it has no noise blanker. For MW (Medium-wave) AM Broadcast DXing at night, it is excellent. The internal bar antenna is very directional so I can rotate the radio around until I get the best reception of some station. Back when I was a child, that made the radio very fun to use.
This next radio is a really capable military surplus radio circa WWII or shortly after (the late 1940s, early 1950s). This radio was my world starting around 1975. From Medium-wave to Shortwave, this radio could hear a pin drop around the world! Many late nights when I was supposed to be sleeping, I was up with the light dimmed and the tubes singing signals from exotic places.
Espey R366 Tube Receiver (my Second Radio)
What is your story?73 de NW7US
Addendum:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8bBM9Dy38o
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8bBM9Dy38o[/embedyt]
Rest in Peace, David Collingham, K3LP, SK
RIP David Collingham, SK – K3LP is now SK.
My condolences to the family and friends, and to our radio community, for the tragic loss of David Collingham, K3LP.
I am sad and sorry for his loved ones and friends who now grieve this loss.
May his memory echo through the ether like radio waves, reaching the receivers of our hearts.
Passing along a note from Paul, N6PSE:
Dear Friends of David Collingham-K3LP:
I have learned additional information concerning his death.
Last night, during a heavy winter storm, David let his dog outside. David later took his truck to search his 25-acre property when his dog did not return. David found that his dog had fallen into an icy pond that adjoins his property with another property.
David made the heroic decision to go into the pond to try and save his dog.
After some time had passed, David’s wife Rebecca went looking for him. She found his truck at the pond and called 911. Fire personal recovered David’s body as well as his dog. Efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
David lived his life bold, courageous and heroically and he died trying to save his beloved dog. He will always be a hero in our hearts.
RIP David R. Collingham, age 59.
